for your convenience?
2.28.2010
2.14.2010
looking back at orpheus
it has been a really delightful day. (valentines day for some- korean new years for some.)
good company- friends from work came over to hang out.
decent food- i started cooking early and just kept putting dishes and snacks out.
we sat around and watched videos. . . listened to music. . . talked. all good. . . all fun. really chill and nice.
then they left.
i sat at my computer and deliberately pulled out a blog from a rough patch of time.
why? why stir up the dust?
am i compelled to balance happiness (a nice day) with unhappiness (a painful memory)?
or am i testing my current resolve against past challenges?
why read about that tough first week after leaving new mexico for california?
why question the decision to leave new mexico?
why put such a downer to the end of a nice day?
why look back? (didn’t do orpheus any good either)
it’s natural to wonder if our decisions will lead to us in the right direction. but what happens when you don’t know where you want to be?
i never had a five year plan.
- not much for strategy. probably why i don’t like playing chess.
i have an amorphous list of things i’d like to do. . . places i’d like to go. . .
it seems that once i pick a direction my focus and tenacity kicks in- even if it’s in the wrong direction.
i know i didn’t make the best judgment calls, but i’d like to think that i made the best of my situation. (most of the time)
my friend tells me that life wouldn’t be as fun if we knew the end. like reading the last page of a book- it’s all out of context and makes the journey less interesting.
i agree. i don’t need to know the end. . . or the specifics. but it would be nice to know the genre. . . true crime? tragedy? chick lit? comedy? thriller?
(lame blog ending)
guess i’ll have to file it under ‘mystery’ for the time being.
(not so lame blog ending)
eh, no worries. happy new year.
(awesome blog ending)
screw this pensive shit. . . . i’m gonna call action chicken man for some dinner delivery!
2.07.2010
bday.1
not quite my birthday, but i got a package from mom, dad, and dan. an express box filled with trader joe peanut butter cups. . . nearly 10 pounds.
i actually said it smelled a little of peanut butter and chocolate before i opened it.
ironically i carried the package in my gym bag to my after school workout.
bday.3
when action chicken mask man arrives. . . this is what he looks like on the video door bell.
this would be a legendary prank to play on someone who is unaware of the action chicken mask man.
really, what would you think if you saw this at the door. it probably isn't the mormons!
2.02.2010
a problem with procrastination
procrastination clutters my life-
literally.
for some reason i am completely unmotivated to put my washing away when it is done. dry clothes remain on the rack, clean socks and undies sit on my couch.
podcasts i’ve already heard sit in my ipod taking up space.
unused, unwatched and unread notebooks, dvds, magazines and books cover nearly every flat surface.
things i bought and received while i was home sit in luggage or boxes to be filed and used.
for a time, everything is stagnant.
then i need something.
a clean shirt- i look through my closet, nope, i left that one on the rack. crap- i cooked chicken last night and it smells like dinner. . . pick a different shirt.
that movie to bring to a friend’s- is it in the drawer where it should be? or in this exiled pile of dvds that i meant to watch soon? or did i leave it on the table from the last time i brought it over? perhaps under that stack of magazines and books that i meant to put away.
that website to order tickets- in the notebook i usually carry in my bag. . . but it was nearly out of clean sheets, so i took it out and didn’t transfer the info to a newer notebook. also under the stack of magazines? maybe just a couple of loose sheets somewhere. . . under the computer?. . . in the drawer?
place to sit- clear the couch? nah. . . just sit on the bed.
sync the ipod- no more space. . . lose an hour or two to reshuffle the podcasts i already listened to and albums i won’t listen to . .. make room for new music.
subway map- shit. . . day bag, but all that was transfered to a different bag while travelling. . . did it make it back, or still in the other bag. . . or also under that stack of magazines and books and notes to be put away?
then, i’m running late. . . i’ve torn through a third of my belongings. . . made even more of a mess, and i’m out the door because at least i’ve got that one thing that i needed right then and there.
the next thing will just have to wait for an opening in the crisis mode schedule.
did i mention i lost my best korean phrase book? it could possibly be somewhere among all my stuff. . . but i feel that it possibly slipped out of my bag (since my bag is also cluttered) and i somehow i didn’t notice for a few days.
i could be missing other things and don’t even know! how aggravating.
i don’t like it like this. . . and i know exactly how to fix it. . . i just lack initiative.
this isn’t even what i meant to blog about. i was supposed to write about my trip home . . . then maybe touch on how things have gone since i’ve been back.
there are so many details- just the first flight into the states is enough to make it’s own blog (my flight was the next international flight that landed in detroit after amsterdam’s flight with the failed bomb attempt on christmas day). . .
and yet i’m finding the task daunting. . .
and i’m worried that i’ll miss at nailing the specifics that i meant to hit.
i forget the comparisons i wanted to make. . .
the anecdotes aren’t as clear in my memory.
the blog will not meet the expectations i had. . .and so, i don’t blog. for a while.
procrastination clutters my life. . .
dulls my memory. . .
and feeds my self doubt.
time to fix it and get on track. . .
or maybe tomorrow night.
1.23.2010
hiseoul.lightfest.1
after another visit to the chiro in itaewon a few of us zipped over to gwanghwamun plaza for a light winter festival.
hiseoul.lightfest.4
fiber optics and paraffin wax.
the volunteer that spoke english was very surprised that i knew so much about fiber optics.
hiseoul.lightfest.7
statue of king sejong. he's the one that commissioned the language. there was a surprisingly massive museum about him under the statue.
snowy.ansan.1
after winter break i got in very late. . . i woke up to go to work the next morning and walked out to this. . .
i was told that it didn't snow much in korea. this took everyone by surprise. the most snow they've seen since they started keeping track back in 1930's.
airplane.snack
this is the snack for an hour and a half flight from incheon to tokyo. . . makes your minuscule package of peanuts look pathetic, huh?
mama.lucia.pizza
it may look like a hot mess, but the spaghetti pizza with meatballs from mama lucia's. . . . mmmmmmmm.
sleepy.cat.not
you may think that's a sleepy kitty above my sleepy uncle, but no. . . it's my bear head hat.
xmas.2009.2
on the mantel across from dad's childhood santa is my gift from hazel- grandpa santa (a cartoon character from pucca).
12.19.2009
doc.says.2
and to think, back home i might be so inclined to take some nyquil or dayquil. apparently, i've been missing out.
12.13.2009
trouble sleeping
i never picked myself as having trouble sleeping in on weekends, as long as time permitted, and yet. . . .
granted, i’ve had these strange cold type symptoms that only crop up an hour before i go to sleep and the first hour that i wake up. so getting to sleep- a little troubling. . . and getting up mostly because i need to rid myself of extra head goo, also bothersome. but still, i should be able to nap through a lazy sunday, no problem.
but then there’s my tv. last night i watched a movie, then decided to fall asleep to some lame tv, instead of music. i flipped through some channels to find something appropriate when i came across. . . Electric Dreams! yes. . . -though possibly only my brother and father would be equally amazed as i am. was i able to stay awake through the whole thing? no- and from the parts that i saw, it wasn’t quite worth it, but it kept me up well past 3.
but what does that matter? i have no plans for sunday. . . i can sleep all day.
till i wake up with the need to blow my nose incessantly- at 9. ok, i’ll read a bit then go back to sleep. 10am- now fully awake.
maybe tv will lull me back.
Blown Away was on. a movie i had planned to see since i went to college in boston, but never got around to. grrrr. FINE. . . i’ll watch it. it’s not like i’m gonna rent it soon.
noon- i’m hungry. i’ll clean the apartment and eat a bit. what comes on? ghost adventures!
before you judge- i LOVE all those ridiculous ghost hunting tv shows. do i believe in ghosts?. . . not really, but do i love watching people freak themselves out? yeah. . . and am i compelled by their sometimes interesting evidence?. . . yeah.
at first i shunned the ghost adventures. they just seemed like some bored tools with a little too much time and access to some video equipment. . .
my favorite was the ghost hunters on sci-fi. they had the science and a good philosophy to the whole thing. not just believing every little knock and creak. they seem to really be after evidence, and they also seem to genuinely want to help the people that they visit.
the most haunted team is kinda fun- great locations, fun accents. . . and you can almost lay money that yvette will freak out 11-15 minutes into any show.
there’s that psychic hunters or whatever. . . not so much into them. . .
but ghost adventures has just gotten damned entertaining. it’s like the jackass of ghost hunting reality tv. these guys seem like they all came out of a frat together having taken some film making classes. . . they walk into rooms and do exactly what you really want to see everyone else do. . . yell at the ghosts to attack them. they intersperse their taunting with, ‘bro, what was that?’ . . . ‘dude, over there, over there!’. . . it’s just too much fun. and well, it’s now on korean tv.
along with all the blockbusters from 2008, and a bizarre collection of movies i always meant to see, and movies i thought no one else knew about. . . theres a bunch of stephen segal and jean claude van dam movies. . . but those don’t keep me up at night.
i did see enough of the new bionic woman to know i didn’t miss too much. there’s almost always a csi, cold case, or some crime fighter show on. . . sadly they picked up the new knight rider. . .but i have gotten hooked on how i met your mother. . . so there seems to be a balance. . . sorta.
anyway, back to cleaning and such. . . . wonder what’s on tonight? maybe i’ll just stick to podcasts.
granted, i’ve had these strange cold type symptoms that only crop up an hour before i go to sleep and the first hour that i wake up. so getting to sleep- a little troubling. . . and getting up mostly because i need to rid myself of extra head goo, also bothersome. but still, i should be able to nap through a lazy sunday, no problem.
but then there’s my tv. last night i watched a movie, then decided to fall asleep to some lame tv, instead of music. i flipped through some channels to find something appropriate when i came across. . . Electric Dreams! yes. . . -though possibly only my brother and father would be equally amazed as i am. was i able to stay awake through the whole thing? no- and from the parts that i saw, it wasn’t quite worth it, but it kept me up well past 3.
but what does that matter? i have no plans for sunday. . . i can sleep all day.
till i wake up with the need to blow my nose incessantly- at 9. ok, i’ll read a bit then go back to sleep. 10am- now fully awake.
maybe tv will lull me back.
Blown Away was on. a movie i had planned to see since i went to college in boston, but never got around to. grrrr. FINE. . . i’ll watch it. it’s not like i’m gonna rent it soon.
noon- i’m hungry. i’ll clean the apartment and eat a bit. what comes on? ghost adventures!
before you judge- i LOVE all those ridiculous ghost hunting tv shows. do i believe in ghosts?. . . not really, but do i love watching people freak themselves out? yeah. . . and am i compelled by their sometimes interesting evidence?. . . yeah.
at first i shunned the ghost adventures. they just seemed like some bored tools with a little too much time and access to some video equipment. . .
my favorite was the ghost hunters on sci-fi. they had the science and a good philosophy to the whole thing. not just believing every little knock and creak. they seem to really be after evidence, and they also seem to genuinely want to help the people that they visit.
the most haunted team is kinda fun- great locations, fun accents. . . and you can almost lay money that yvette will freak out 11-15 minutes into any show.
there’s that psychic hunters or whatever. . . not so much into them. . .
but ghost adventures has just gotten damned entertaining. it’s like the jackass of ghost hunting reality tv. these guys seem like they all came out of a frat together having taken some film making classes. . . they walk into rooms and do exactly what you really want to see everyone else do. . . yell at the ghosts to attack them. they intersperse their taunting with, ‘bro, what was that?’ . . . ‘dude, over there, over there!’. . . it’s just too much fun. and well, it’s now on korean tv.
along with all the blockbusters from 2008, and a bizarre collection of movies i always meant to see, and movies i thought no one else knew about. . . theres a bunch of stephen segal and jean claude van dam movies. . . but those don’t keep me up at night.
i did see enough of the new bionic woman to know i didn’t miss too much. there’s almost always a csi, cold case, or some crime fighter show on. . . sadly they picked up the new knight rider. . .but i have gotten hooked on how i met your mother. . . so there seems to be a balance. . . sorta.
anyway, back to cleaning and such. . . . wonder what’s on tonight? maybe i’ll just stick to podcasts.
how i accidentally spent 400,000 won yesterday
let me take you a month or two back.
one of my friends here is having some back problems. she’s gone to acupuncturists and herbalists for years, but her back still hurts. when she explained the pain to me it sounded exactly like how my back hurt when i crushed my sciatic nerve. i suggested a chiropractor, since i had recovered so well seeing one.
she’s never been to one but started researching.
sometime in all this i mentioned it all to swon, and she said she had an old friend who was a chiropractor and he worked with some people in itaewon. he specialized in dealing with expats- excellent english and all. she said she’d get his info and get back to me, since she hadn’t been in contact with him for a while.
turns out, as she tried to contact him, he was opening his own practice. . . and he needed some interior design help. so swon got another job. . . and contact info for me.
crank up to yesterday. a few of us were loafing about town and swon called me to see what i was up to. i said i’d probably swing through itaewon shortly and she said i should see her friend. i said i’d try.
then. . .she sent me his info. . . ok, if i had time i’d check it out.
then she called him to tell him i would stop by, and i should get a discount. . . ok, guess i’m going.
then she had him look me up on facebook, so he would recognize me. . . so. . . that clinched it. . . i basically had an appointment (they just opened tuesday this week, so it was pretty quiet)
i mostly wanted my friend to check it out, but i don’t mind having an adjustment, and the price was similar to what i was used to in the US. . . so why not. my neck had been a bit stiff.
i felt pretty fantastic after the adjustment. . . and the place looked great- swon has great taste.
the doc told me about a deal if i signed up for ten sessions. i figured i could get to itaewon for ten sessions over a year, so i said sure. i didn’t realize i would be paying for those ten sessions up front. . . .iiieeeee!
guess i was lucky that i hadn’t sent money home yet this month.
good side- i have 10 standing appointments for adjustments.
one of my friends here is having some back problems. she’s gone to acupuncturists and herbalists for years, but her back still hurts. when she explained the pain to me it sounded exactly like how my back hurt when i crushed my sciatic nerve. i suggested a chiropractor, since i had recovered so well seeing one.
she’s never been to one but started researching.
sometime in all this i mentioned it all to swon, and she said she had an old friend who was a chiropractor and he worked with some people in itaewon. he specialized in dealing with expats- excellent english and all. she said she’d get his info and get back to me, since she hadn’t been in contact with him for a while.
turns out, as she tried to contact him, he was opening his own practice. . . and he needed some interior design help. so swon got another job. . . and contact info for me.
crank up to yesterday. a few of us were loafing about town and swon called me to see what i was up to. i said i’d probably swing through itaewon shortly and she said i should see her friend. i said i’d try.
then. . .she sent me his info. . . ok, if i had time i’d check it out.
then she called him to tell him i would stop by, and i should get a discount. . . ok, guess i’m going.
then she had him look me up on facebook, so he would recognize me. . . so. . . that clinched it. . . i basically had an appointment (they just opened tuesday this week, so it was pretty quiet)
i mostly wanted my friend to check it out, but i don’t mind having an adjustment, and the price was similar to what i was used to in the US. . . so why not. my neck had been a bit stiff.
i felt pretty fantastic after the adjustment. . . and the place looked great- swon has great taste.
the doc told me about a deal if i signed up for ten sessions. i figured i could get to itaewon for ten sessions over a year, so i said sure. i didn’t realize i would be paying for those ten sessions up front. . . .iiieeeee!
guess i was lucky that i hadn’t sent money home yet this month.
good side- i have 10 standing appointments for adjustments.
12.12.insadong.5
the back lighting is ok. . . but i think it would look great against the dark sky if it was well lit.
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